Pajhwok Afghan Newshttp://www.pajhwok.com
enهوتکhttp://www.pajhwok.com/en/node/470978
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Fri, 09 Dec 2016 13:33:15 +0000javed.hamim470978 at http://www.pajhwok.comhttp://www.pajhwok.com/en/node/470978#commentsUS to support Afghanistan for years to come: Carterhttp://www.pajhwok.com/en/2016/12/09/us-support-afghanistan-years-come-carter
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<div class="field-item even"><p><a href="/en/afganistan/kabul" class="glossify-link">KABUL<img alt="info-icon" src="/sites/pajhwok.com/modules/contrib/glossify/info.png" /></a> (Pajhwok): Defense Secretary Ash Carter on Friday assured <a href="/en/afghanistan" class="glossify-link">Afghanistan<img alt="info-icon" src="/sites/pajhwok.com/modules/contrib/glossify/info.png" /></a> of sustained strategic support from the United States of America.</p>
<p>Hours after his unannounced visit to Kabul, the secretary told a joint news conference with President Ashraf Ghani: “Today, we once again agreed on continued strategic partnership.”</p>
<p>The secretary, who is going to be replaced by Marine Gen. James Mattis within days, added his country would remain committed to a sovereign and stable Afghanistan.</p>
<p>Carter commended President Ghani’s recognition of the sacrifices being rendered by international troops, particularly the American military personnel, in Afghanistan.</p>
<p>“Our strategic cooperation with Afghanistan will continue for years to come; we will show the <a href="/en/world" class="glossify-link">world<img alt="info-icon" src="/sites/pajhwok.com/modules/contrib/glossify/info.png" /></a> that the US remains committed to a stable, secure self-reliant Afghanistan,” he reaffirmed.</p>
<p>The US and the international community had promised to support Afghan security forces until 2020, he said, acknowledging a marked improvement in local security personnel’s performance.</p>
<p>“US troops are fighting together with their Afghan partners to ensure Afghanistan’s sovereignty and American’s security,” the president remarked. He hailed Carter as Afghanistan’s abiding friend, who had been able to muster a lot of international support for the Afghan security forces.</p>
<p>Addressing the secretary, the president said: “At the Warsaw summit, you played an important role in shaping global consensus on the need for equipping and training Afghan forces…”</p>
<p>Evolving the consensus without Carter’s support would have been a hard task, Ghani admitted, saying the Afghans being a thankful nation viewed America as a long-term friend.</p>
<p>Later, the secretary left for the Bagram Airbase in central Parwan province to meet military commanders.</p>
<p>Less than 10,000 US troops are currently stationed in Afghanistan to train and advise Afghan security forces and conduct counter-terrorism operations against Al-Qaeda and Islamic State groups.</p>
<p>mud</p>
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<div class="field-item even"><a href="/en/journalist/ahmad-shah-erfanyar-0">Ahmad Shah Erfanyar</a></div>
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Fri, 09 Dec 2016 13:21:06 +0000mudasir.shah470977 at http://www.pajhwok.comhttp://www.pajhwok.com/en/2016/12/09/us-support-afghanistan-years-come-carter#commentsKabul, Islamabad asked to remove trade barriers http://www.pajhwok.com/en/2016/12/09/kabul-islamabad-asked-remove-trade-barriers
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<div class="field-item even"><p>KANDAHAR CITY (Pajhwok): Businessmen have urged Afghan and Pakistani governments to remove hurdles to cross-border trade, which should not be sacrificed at the altar of politics.</p>
<p>The call came at a meeting on business matchmaking, attended by traders from Afghan and Pakistani traders in the capital of southern Kandahar province on Thursday.</p>
<p><a href="/en/afghanistan" class="glossify-link">Afghanistan<img alt="info-icon" src="http://222.pajhwok.com/sites/pajhwok.com/modules/contrib/glossify/info.png" /></a> Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) deputy head Khan Jan Alokozay, Kandahar police chief Gen. Abdul Raziq, <a href="/en/pakistan" class="glossify-link">Pakistan<img alt="info-icon" src="http://222.pajhwok.com/sites/pajhwok.com/modules/contrib/glossify/info.png" /></a> Consul-General Arif Bitani and industrialists attended the event.</p>
<p>Haji Mohammad Sadiq Momand, <a href="/en/saarc" class="glossify-link">SAARC<img alt="info-icon" src="http://222.pajhwok.com/sites/pajhwok.com/modules/contrib/glossify/info.png" /></a> Chamber of Commerce deputy chief, businessmen from Pakistan and Afghanistan had come together in Kandahar for the first time to promote bilateral trade and find solutions to their problems.</p>
<p>SAARC planned to establish a large industrial in Kandahar, he said, calling the southern city an ancient commercial hub. The park will be set up close to the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline.</p>
<p>Momand claimed Pakistani entrepreneurs did not face any problem in Afghanistan. By the same token, he said, Afghan traders should also be granted all required facilities by Pakistan.</p>
<p>The ACCI deputy head claimed bilateral trade had been harmed by Pakistan’s wrong policies. Current tensions were detrimental to the economies of the neighbours, he belied.</p>
<p>In the not-so-distant past, Alokozay recalled, about 2,000 Afghans would travel daily to Pakistan for medical treatment. But now they preferred visiting India because of Pakistan’s undue restrictions.</p>
<p>He hit out at the Afghan government for its failure over the past 16 years to resolve the issue of constant power supply to Kandahar -- a vital facility needed to strengthen industrialisation of Kandahar.</p>
<p>While welcoming SAARC’s decision on building an industrial park in the city, he sought concrete cooperation from Pakistan in this regard. The site is close to Chaman, Quetta and Central Asian republics.</p>
<p>A trader from the Chaman town of Balochistan, Haji Daroo Khan, blamed both governments for creating problems for entrepreneurs -- though traders and people on both sides of <a href="/en/durand-line" class="glossify-link">Durand Line<img alt="info-icon" src="http://222.pajhwok.com/sites/pajhwok.com/modules/contrib/glossify/info.png" /></a> did not have any issue.</p>
<p>Gen. Raziq accused Pakistan of always shutting transit routes around the fruit harvest time in Afghanistan, a move that inflicted heavy losses on orchard owners and merchants.</p>
<p>He said Afghanistan could take similar steps to harm the Pakistani businesspeople transporting goods to or from Central Asia. However, the police chief explained, they avoided teasing the Pakistanis.</p>
<p>The Pakistan consul-general in Kandahar acknowledged better Afghan-Pakistan relations were central to boosting bilateral trade and commerce.</p>
<p>Bitani promised conveying relevant Pakistani authorities the problems identified by Afghan traders. Efforts would be made to resolve the issues.</p>
<p>mud</p>
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Fri, 09 Dec 2016 11:12:31 +0000mudasir.shah470974 at http://www.pajhwok.comhttp://www.pajhwok.com/en/2016/12/09/kabul-islamabad-asked-remove-trade-barriers#commentsجوزجاني ماشومhttp://www.pajhwok.com/en/node/470972
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Fri, 09 Dec 2016 10:17:17 +0000fridayeditor470972 at http://www.pajhwok.comhttp://www.pajhwok.com/en/node/470972#commentsکندهار کې سوداګرhttp://www.pajhwok.com/en/node/470971
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Fri, 09 Dec 2016 09:35:38 +0000fridayeditor470971 at http://www.pajhwok.comhttp://www.pajhwok.com/en/node/470971#comments15 Taliban killed, 23 wounded in fresh operations: MoDhttp://www.pajhwok.com/en/2016/12/09/15-taliban-killed-23-wounded-fresh-operations-mod
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<div class="field-item even"><p><a href="/en/afganistan/kabul" class="glossify-link">KABUL<img alt="info-icon" src="/sites/pajhwok.com/modules/contrib/glossify/info.png" /></a> (Pajhwok): Fifteen <a href="/en/taliban" class="glossify-link">Taliban<img alt="info-icon" src="/sites/pajhwok.com/modules/contrib/glossify/info.png" /></a> fighters have been killed during fresh security operations in different provinces of the country, the Ministry of Defence announced on Friday.</p>
<p>At least 23 militants were wounded in the operations conducted in the past 24 hours in Nangarhar, Kunar, Paktika, Ghazni, Paktia, Logar, Kandahar, Uruzgan, Zabul, Daikundi, Badghis, Herat, Faryab, Kunduz and Helmand.</p>
<p>A statement from MoD said weapons and ammunition were also seized by security forces during the offensives. The ministry said nothing about security forces’ casualties.</p>
<p>pr/mud</p>
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Fri, 09 Dec 2016 08:07:21 +0000mudasir.shah470969 at http://www.pajhwok.comhttp://www.pajhwok.com/en/2016/12/09/15-taliban-killed-23-wounded-fresh-operations-mod#commentsCarter in Kabul to meet Ghani, military commandershttp://www.pajhwok.com/en/2016/12/09/carter-kabul-meet-ghani-military-commanders
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<div class="field-item even"><p><a href="/ps/afganistan/kabul" class="glossify-link">KABUL<img alt="info-icon" src="/sites/pajhwok.com/modules/contrib/glossify/info.png" /></a> (Pajhwok): US Defense Secretary <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/politics-government/government/ash-carter-PEPLT0008964-topic.html" id="PEPLT0008964" title="Ash Carter">Ash Carter</a> on Friday arrived in Kabul on an unannounced visit to meet President Ashraf Ghani and military commanders on the situation in <a href="/ps/afghanistan" class="glossify-link">Afghanistan<img alt="info-icon" src="/sites/pajhwok.com/modules/contrib/glossify/info.png" /></a>.</p>
<p>“Carter, who flew to Kabul from New Delhi, will hold talks with Ghani before visiting the Bagram Airbase in central Parwan province,” an government official told Pajhwok Afghan News.</p>
<p>He said the visiting secretary, on his last official visit here, was expected to discuss America’s 15-year-long campaign against terrorism in the war-wracked country.</p>
<p>Escalating militant-linked violence and Afghan forces’ capabilities and efforts to enhance their combat skills would also come for discussion, the source said on condition of anonymity.</p>
<p>Less than 10,000 US troops are currently stationed in Afghanistan to train and Afghan security forces and conduct counter-terrorism operations against <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/unrest-conflicts-war/terrorism/al-qaeda-ORCIG000003751-topic.html" title="Al-Qaeda">Al-Qaeda</a> and <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/unrest-conflicts-war/islamic-state-ORCIG000120-topic.html" id="ORCIG000120" title="Islamic State">Islamic State</a> groups.</p>
<p>mud</p>
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Fri, 09 Dec 2016 07:47:41 +0000mudasir.shah470968 at http://www.pajhwok.comhttp://www.pajhwok.com/en/2016/12/09/carter-kabul-meet-ghani-military-commanders#commentsKabul saddened by deadly plane crash in Abbottabadhttp://www.pajhwok.com/en/2016/12/09/kabul-saddened-deadly-plane-crash-abbottabad
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<div class="field-item even"><p><a href="/en/afganistan/kabul" class="glossify-link">KABUL<img alt="info-icon" src="/sites/pajhwok.com/modules/contrib/glossify/info.png" /></a> (Pajhwok): <a href="/en/afghanistan" class="glossify-link">Afghanistan<img alt="info-icon" src="/sites/pajhwok.com/modules/contrib/glossify/info.png" /></a> has expressed deep shock over a plane crash in <a href="/en/pakistan" class="glossify-link">Pakistan<img alt="info-icon" src="/sites/pajhwok.com/modules/contrib/glossify/info.png" /></a>’s northwestern city of Abbottabad, calling it a tragic incident.</p>
<p>All 47 people aboard the ill-fated aircraft of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) -- flying from Chitral to Islamabad -- were killed in Wednesday’s crash.</p>
<p>In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs extended condolences to the victims’ families. “The people of Afghanistan fully share the grief of the families who have lost their relatives…”</p>
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Fri, 09 Dec 2016 07:43:32 +0000fridayeditor470967 at http://www.pajhwok.comhttp://www.pajhwok.com/en/2016/12/09/kabul-saddened-deadly-plane-crash-abbottabad#commentsCongress extends visa programme for Afghan interpretershttp://www.pajhwok.com/en/2016/12/09/congress-extends-visa-programme-afghan-interpreters
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<div class="field-item even"><p><a href="/en/afganistan/kabul" class="glossify-link">KABUL<img alt="info-icon" src="/sites/pajhwok.com/modules/contrib/glossify/info.png" /></a> (Pajhwok): Congress has passed a bill offeringimmigration to a small number of Afghan interpreters and translators who risked their lives working for the US military, international media outlets reported.</p>
<p>Part of an annual military policy bill, the measure renews a nine-year-old visa programme for the Afghans facing threats due to theirassociation with American troops. The Senate passed the $619 billion measures 92 to 7.</p>
<p>The New York Times reported the renewal added only 1,500 extra visas, with approximately 13,000 Afghans having submitted applications. The move further toughened eligibility restrictions on an already complicated process.</p>
<p>Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat from New Hampshire who tabled the bill, said: “I think it’s clear that we will run out of those visas.” The Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program was introduced in 2008to let interpreters under threat shift to the US.</p>
<p>The Defense Department policy bill extends the program through 2017. While supporting the measure, Doris Matsuisaid it did not go far enough. She stressed need for more visas and resettlement help for the Afghans.</p>
<p>“I’m pleased that we have taken a step forward by extending the program. But our work is not yet done. I’ll continue to advocate for the improvement of the resettlement process for these families in Sacramento and across the United States,” Matsui said.</p>
<p>President-elect Donald Trump’spick for attorney general, Sen. Jeff Sessions, has already objected to raising the number of visas and said “just because you’ve got applicants doesn’t mean every one of them is deserving of acceptance.”</p>
<p>Shaheen voiced disappointment with the Senate's failure to pass an amendment for 2,500 new visas that she co-sponsored with Senator John McCain. However, she hoped Congress would extend the programme before it ran out of visas.</p>
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Fri, 09 Dec 2016 06:42:34 +0000fridayeditor470961 at http://www.pajhwok.comhttp://www.pajhwok.com/en/2016/12/09/congress-extends-visa-programme-afghan-interpreters#commentsSindh CM calls for speedy repatriation of Afghans http://www.pajhwok.com/en/2016/12/09/sindh-cm-calls-speedy-repatriation-afghans
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<div class="field-item even"><p>PESHAWAR (Pajhwok): The chief minister of <a href="/en/pakistan" class="glossify-link">Pakistan<img alt="info-icon" src="/sites/pajhwok.com/modules/contrib/glossify/info.png" /></a>’s Sindh province has stressed the need for the speedy repatriation of Afghan refugees to their homeland.</p>
<p>Syed Murad Ali Shah said Sindh had been hosting registered and undocumented refugees for the last 37 years. Mostly of them are living in the port city of Karachi and adjoining areas</p>
<p>Despite spending a lot of resources on taking care of the refugees, Sindh had been facing security problems for decades. As a result, a targeted operation had to be launched.</p>
<p>At a meeting with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Indrika Ratwattee on Thursday, Shah said the apex committee, implementing the National Action Plan (NAP), had decided to repatriate all illegal immigrants.</p>
<p>He added the provincial administration had asked the federal government to step up the repatriation of unregistered Afghan citizens. But the central government,responding to a UNHCR request, delayed the repatriation for six months.</p>
<p>About 600,000 Afghan refugees were living in Pakistan, including 1.3 million in Sindh,Indrika Ratwatee said, butthe chief minister contested the figures. The UNHCR chief said they usually remained in touch with their people back in <a href="/en/afghanistan" class="glossify-link">Afghanistan<img alt="info-icon" src="/sites/pajhwok.com/modules/contrib/glossify/info.png" /></a>.</p>
<p>Shah said many unregistered Afghan nationals living in Sindh be registered to know who was who and where they lived. “We spend on their food subsidy, they are using our utilities and even their children are going to government schools.”</p>
<p>The UN had allocated $175 million for the <a href="/en/education" class="glossify-link">education<img alt="info-icon" src="/sites/pajhwok.com/modules/contrib/glossify/info.png" /></a> and <a href="/en/health" class="glossify-link">health<img alt="info-icon" src="/sites/pajhwok.com/modules/contrib/glossify/info.png" /></a> of refugees, Ratwateesaid, adding Sindh would receive $30 million of the sanctioned amount. “You can spend this on the education, health and other social services for Afghan refugees.”</p>
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Fri, 09 Dec 2016 06:36:01 +0000fridayeditor470960 at http://www.pajhwok.comhttp://www.pajhwok.com/en/2016/12/09/sindh-cm-calls-speedy-repatriation-afghans#comments